I became a movie star at the age of three; Dilraba and I are childhood sweethearts.

Xiao Chen's heart skipped a beat.

He thought of Guo Qilin from later generations.

In variety shows, he is always the one who is most considerate of others' feelings, most polite, and best at enlivening the atmosphere.

The audience praised him for his good upbringing and high emotional intelligence.

But who would have thought that this almost ingratiating high emotional intelligence was actually a facade?

Behind this are countless nights spent holding a bowl of cabbage while watching others devour meat.

How many times have I felt like an outsider in that so-called home, feeling lonely without even a room of my own?

Later, his father had a new wife, and then a new son.

In that family, the father was kind and the son was filial, and everyone was happy.

Only he, the eldest son, seemed like an unwanted guest.

I don't know who said it, but once a stepmother is born, the biological father becomes a stepfather.

On the contrary, Yu Qian, the man he called godfather, always had a room and a key reserved for him at home.

Xiao Chen has always been too lazy to meddle in other people's family affairs.

He's not a saint; he doesn't have that much overflowing compassion.

But today, right here, I bumped into Guo Qilin, who was hugging his knees and crying like an abandoned puppy.

Perhaps, this is fate.

He looked at the chubby little boy in front of him, who was trying hard to hold back his tears and perform well in front of him.

Thinking back to later generations, Guo Qilin was asked in an interview what his biggest regret was.

He remained silent for a long time before speaking.

"I didn't get to study properly for many years."

In short, it's all calm and collected.

Only he himself knows the bitterness he experienced.

Xiao Chen suddenly asked.

"Do you still want to study?"

Guo Qilin suddenly raised his head, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, but it quickly died down.

He first nodded emphatically, then shook his head vigorously like a rattle-drum.

"I...I don't know."

He really didn't know.

He disliked the boring formulas and texts in school.

But he dislikes his current life even more.

That noisy home, where there was no place for him.

That stage where he had to speak in perfect pronunciation and recite tongue twisters until dawn every day, without feeling any joy whatsoever.

He was only twelve years old.

He couldn't even imagine what the future would be like.

All he knew was that he was unhappy.

Xiao Chen understood.

What kind of future plans could a child that young know?

It's nothing more than feeling miserable right now and wanting to escape.

But Xiao Chen knew that studying was not just about finding a good job, nor was it just about getting a diploma.

Reading is so that when you need to make countless choices in the future, you will have more options to take.

It is so that when faced with the injustice of fate, we have another weapon to resist.

It is to broaden one's horizons and mind, so that one's vision and mind are not confined to a small stage and those outdated rules.

He didn't want to judge whether Guo Degang's parenting style was right or wrong.

He just wanted to give the child in front of him a chance to choose.

An opportunity that might make his life a little less regrettable.

Xiao Chen didn't ask any more questions.

He stood up and straightened out non-existent wrinkles on his clothes.

Looking down at the chubby little boy still squatting on the ground.

"Alright."

He spoke calmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Come with me first."

Guo Qilin was stunned.

"what?"

"Where...where are we going?"

He looked up with his round face, completely bewildered.

Xiao Chen's words were concise and to the point.

"My private room."

Guo Qilin's mind went blank for a moment, then started working at lightning speed again.

Go to your idol's private box?

Those must be full of important people, right?

He... he looked like this, his face covered in snot and tears, and his clothes were all wrinkled.

This...this is so embarrassing!

Besides, it's too much of a bother to people!

He scrambled to his feet, waving his hands frantically.

"No, no, no, brother, this...this isn't right, is it?"

"I...I can't bother you, my dad is waiting for me..."

He invoked his father's name, attempting to resist this enormous temptation.

Xiao Chen didn't give him a chance to refuse at all.

He simply turned to the side and left a single sentence.

"Keep up."

After saying that, he took long strides and walked into the depths of the corridor.

His back was straight and sharp.

The lights in the corridor followed him, casting a gentle halo around him.

Guo Qilin stood there, staring at that retreating figure, his face contorted with worry.

To go or not to go?

Reason told him he couldn't go; he couldn't cause trouble for his idol; he had to be sensible.

Emotionally, it felt like those feet were glued to the ground, or like they were being pulled by invisible threads, wanting only to follow.

This is Xiao Chen!

It's Hong Wending, the guy in the movie whose blood boils with just a glance!

It's Liu Xing, the guy on TV who turns his house upside down with all sorts of crazy ideas, yet you can't bring yourself to hate him!

He's the superstar who stands at the top of the world, singing songs that drive girls all over the globe crazy!

He invited me!

The battle between heaven and man lasted only a few seconds.

Guo Qilin gritted his teeth and stomped his foot.

go with!

Even if it's a very important matter, let's go first and talk about it later!

He took short strides and followed after him.

Because it ran so fast, its round body looked like a small cannonball.

He dared not get too close, for fear of offending them.

I didn't dare to stray too far, for fear of losing them.

They followed closely, keeping a distance of two or three meters, like a loyal little follower.

Xiao Chen walked slowly, deliberately waiting for him.

Guo Qilin's heart was pounding.

Nervous, excited, and with a dreamlike sense of unreality.

He secretly observed Xiao Chen's retreating figure.

Broad shoulders, a slender waist, and long, straight legs.

Even just a glimpse of her back is so beautiful that you can't take your eyes off her.

Soon, Xiao Chen stopped in front of a private room.

On that heavy mahogany door hangs an elegant plaque that reads "Peony Hall".

Guo Qilin quickly stopped and nervously straightened his vest.

She quickly wiped her face haphazardly with her sleeve, trying to make herself look less disheveled.

Xiao Chen did not turn around.

He simply reached out and gently pushed open the door.

The door hinges turned without making a sound.

Warm light, mixed with the aroma of food and the sounds of people talking and laughing, poured out from the crack in the door.

Guo Qilin subconsciously held his breath.

He saw that inside the door, around a huge round table, were several people sitting.

Seated in the main seat was a woman with an elegant and noble demeanor, short hair, shrewd and capable, none other than the legendary Wang Jinhua.

Beside her sat a gentle and beautiful woman whose features bore a resemblance to Xiao Chen's.

This must be Xiao Chen's mother, Ye Huimei.

There were a few unfamiliar faces on the table, but judging from their demeanor, they were definitely not ordinary people.

The moment Xiao Chen pushed open the door, everyone's eyes turned to him.

Then, their gazes passed over Xiao Chen and landed on the chubby little boy behind him, who was peeking around nervously.

The lively atmosphere in the private room instantly fell silent.

Guo Qilin felt like a clown under a spotlight, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet.

His face flushed red instantly, down to his ears.